Naturism and Hot Springs

Beaches are not the only public outdoor locations where one can enjoy being
naked. Almost any relatively remote place where people go to "get away"
from the crowd will do, provided it is either (1) remote enough that you're
unlikely to meet anyone else at all, or (2) of a nature that is encouraging
of and conducive to being naked.

Many backpackers are able to enjoy remote wilderness areas without clothing.
Non-naturist backpackers are usually understanding and tolerant of this
in the event of the occasional encounter. However, not everyone is
interested in hiking miles into the woods with a heavy pack just for
the experience of being unclothed. So it's fortunate that there are
places in the outdoors which inherently invite the shedding of clothes - i. e.
natural hot springs.

Unlike a "nude" or "clothing optional" beach, hot springs in remote
locations do not generally attract large numbers of people. For many,
that is a chief advantage in itself. Such springs often are
clothing optional - who, after all, wants to wear anything to bathe?
Since the springs are usually in isolated, remote locations, they're
ordinarily utilized by people who like the outdoors and the more
rustic pleasures, such as the absence of clothing.

Nudity isn't tolerated at all hot springs, of course, just as
it isn't at most beaches. But there's actually a much better
chance that nudity is tolerated, or even the norm, than at a typical
beach. In any case, you can use this page as a guide to finding hot
springs where nudity is common and generally welcome.

Unfortunately for U. S. easterners, most of the natural geothermal
activity in the U. S. is west of the continental divide. Sorry, but
that's the breaks.

General Hot Springs Guides

This may be the best overall hot springs page. Includes
pictures and directions for various springs in California and
other states in the western U. S. Links
and information on other springs. There site also includes a message
board and chat facility for exchanging information and experience
with other soakers.

Lists a number of backcountry hot springs. However, the owner
of the pages has an attitude problem about nudity. ("Avoid total
nudity" is listed as "backcountry hotspring etiquette".) Kind of
amusing, actually. There are thumbnail images of nude people using
some areas, but the "full size" images have swimming attire faked
into the picture.

This hot springs guide book is about locations in
the Northwestern U. S. - and it has an explicitly naturist orientation.
The author represents that he has swum, soaked, or sunbathed nude
at every location listed. Also, unlike most of the other hot springs
guides, this one has color photos.

Oregon has a lot of them, and this site gives driving and
hiking directions plus comments for some. (But a number of the
links don't work.)

Developed Hot Springs

People have always enjoyed being in hot water, so many of the best
natural sites were long ago "discovered" and developed to attract
visitors. Although such developed sites are sometimes less likely to
permit or encourage nude use, there are a number of welcome exceptions.

Located near Calistoga, California, north of the Napa Valley and
San Francisco, Harbin does not fit into any of the usual categories
of "hot springs", "resort", "campground", or whatever. First
established as a resort in the mid-1800's, it now
has a few modern amenities - but only a few.
It does have hot springs, but also 1160 acres of wooded grounds,
hiking trails, a health food store and restaurant,
and many types of therapeutic massage available. Best of all, most
of the facilities are clothing optional. And, unlike most organized
"nudist" resorts, there are no rules about who may visit.

"Sierra Hot Springs is a non-profit retreat and workshop center
located at the cusp of an enchanted forest and a beautiful alpine
valley" a little bit north of Lake Tahoe. It is a "sister community"
to Harbin Hot Springs, but "a bit more remote and peaceful".

The famous Esalen Institute on the Big Sur coast of California
was at one time known as Slate's
Hot Springs because of the geothermal features located there. Only
much later, in the 1960s, was it developed into the conference and
"personal growth" center that it is now. But the springs are still
there, and still may be enjoyed without any clothing. The best way
to use them is to attend a seminar or workshop, but they are open
to the general public - from 1 am to 3 am.